Scutching of flax and like fibers.



J. A. WILLIAMSON. SCUTCHING OF FLAX AND LIKE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. IQIBI o Patented Apr. 29,1919

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- I'ME "mains #272125 COUPHOIQLITHON WASHINGIUN, u. c.

J. A. WILLIAMSON.

SCUTCHING 0F FLAX AND LIKE FIBERS. APPLICATION FILED 1uNE24. ms.

1 32,Q6 IL 0 Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. A. WILLIAMSON.

UTCHING 0F FLAX AND LIKE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. I918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

7 will be automatically released after treat anivrns ALnxA'NnErtwuL Ar/rsmv, or PORTADOWN, IRELAND.

SCUTCHING OE FLAX AND LIKE FIBERS.

To all whom it may concern; I I

Be it known that I, J AMES ALEXANDER IVILLIAMsON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Portadown, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Scutching of'FlaX andlike Fibers, of which i i the imtreated portion to the scutching blades the following is; a specification.

Thisinventionjrelates to the scutching; of flax .and like fibers, its object bein to provide improvements in scutching mills whereby the cost of scutching maybe reduced.

The invention consists in prov dlng in place of the usual fixed stock, a revolving stock, preferably in the form of a verticalopen-topped cylinder; having a number of deep notches in its upperedge, each capable against the stock as .usuaL. The relative speed of rotation'of the revolving stock and revolving blades is suchthat each bundle of y straw will remain. long enough under, the action of the blades to knock out the shove or shive against the outer surface of the cylinder. The drive of the revolving stock can be varied to suit the nature ofthe flax being treated, for example, a comparatively quick drive may be given'when soft flax isbeing dealt with, anda comparatively slow drive when themill is dealing with hard The clamping means forholding the flax on the stock during treatment may be so made. and operated that eachbundle 'of flax ment of oneend, and at convenient point, so that the attendant may reverse the straw for treatment of the other end of the bundle or for; the removal of the bundle ifboth ends have been treated.

In order that the inventionmay be clearly;

understood I have hereunto appended drawings which show, by way of illustration: or 3 example, a rotary scutching stock in. ac-

cordance with my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, part being Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgfl Apr, 29, 19119,

Application filed June 24,1918. Serial No. 241,4 ss.

,cut away to show the automatic device for turn ng the bundle of flax to present both been scutched, for the purpose of reversing the bundle of flax in the holder to present or for the purpose of taking out the scutched bundle and replacing it by a bundle awaiting scutching.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing how the scutching blade beats the flax on the face of the revolving stock.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the machine on the line 1, 1, Fig. 1.

Flg. 4 is a small diagrammatic view showing certain modifications.

, F ig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1. Y Fig. 6 is a detail view of the turnable flax holder. 7

Fig. 7 shows a part side elevation of a slightly modified form of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings The scutchlng machine, as shown, comprises a supporting framework a carrying,

upper and under brackets a and a respec tively, between which, on a vertlcal shaft 00, is arranged a circular revolving stock, consisting of an open-topped outer cylinder 5 and an open-topped inner cylinder 0 which are secured together, with a space a between them, and have each a number of V-shaped notches, or openings d in their upper edges the openings (5 in the outer cylinder 6 being 111 register with the openings (Z in the inner cylinder 0. In the space 6 between the cylinders a number of slidably arranged clamp- 1ng bars f are provided, corresponding in number to the number of openings d. At

their top ends the bars f have an inverted V- 'shaped portion f the center of the V being a in line with the center of the corresponding The flax or other straw bundles may be openings in the cylinders b and 0. The bars f have each a roller f at the lower end and they are caused to turn with the cylinders I) and 0 and durmg each revolution each bar 7 is from the point 1, (see Fig. 5), caused to rise on to the cam 9 remaining thereon until it reaches the point 2 where it gets a sheer explained and when the bar f falls suddenly at point the bundle of flax in the notch (Z is gripped firmly between the opposing V- shaped members and held therebetween during the first scutching operation which takes place at point 3 where the revolving blades is are caused to beat or scutch the flax against the outer wall of the cylindrical stock formed by the cylinder Z2. Afterpassing the point '3 the bar f is caused to rise on a cam Z so as to release the gripof the clamp f on.

again acted on by the cam g which raises it and releases the map of the clamp f on the bundle of flax which can then be pulled out and reversed if desired for the purpose of scutching the untreated end or'portion or, if the whole of the bundle has been treated, for the purpose-of removing same and replacing it by a fresh untreated bundle.

In order to cause the holder h to be opened to receive, or release the flax, as the case may be, on reaching the filling point 1, the holder jaw k is slidably supported and provided with an upward projecting member h capable of being engaged by a cam 0 on the disk p which does not rotate, the canto be ing so shaped as to cause the spindle h of the-j aw h to be drawn back against the action of a weight a, or equivalent, as the holder approaches the point .1 whereby the jaws of the holder will be opened to release and (or) receive the bundle of flax, and then, on a continuation of the rotary movement of the revolving stock 6, the member h connected with the aw 72- moves clear of the cam 0, andthe jaw h is, under the reaction of the weight 01, caused to move forward to close the j awsof the holder so that the flax is firmly gripped by the holder and, also, as

already explained, bythe top f of the hold ing bar i l l The turning of the holder h, after passing the point 3, is effected by providing a tooth wheel 9 '(see detail Fig. 6) on the hollow spindle h of the jaw h of the holder and providing a vertically slidable rack r in engagement with the teeth of the wheel g,'so

that, when the rack r is forced downward by a cam s, 011 the disk 29, the wheel 9 will turn the holder h in one direction and to such an extent as to cause the reversal of the side of the bundle exposed for treatment. Two racks 0 and r and two cams s and 8 are preferably provided, as shown, the rack r being raised by the lowering of the rack 'r so that on approaching the point 1 the rack 1 will be up and ready for action and when approaching the point 1 the rack T will be I up and ready for action, one or other of the 1 ,eoaee 1 tical shaft 00 through-a toothed wheel :0 is

effected. The stock'cylindersb and c are se-- cured to the shaft 00. I

The blades is and in) are shown revolving in the same direction but'theyimay, if des1red,"'be made'to revolve ln-opposite threetions, in which case-the blades moving up wardly over the face of' the stock'b would beat the flax upwardagainst'afixed stock a suitably supported above the revolving stock as shown in the small view'at Fig. 4. If the latter; arrangement is adopted, the holder turning arrangement, above described, is not required, as the, downwardly moving blades beat out one side of the bundle .of flax and theupvvardly moving bladesbeat out the oppositeside. The revolving stock may be cylindrical, or polygonal in shape and'may' have parallel sides, as shown, or itmay taper slightly downward. The. rotation or turning of the revolving stock may be intermittent, with pausesas each bundle of flax comesto' the scutohing point, or points,'or the lineal speed of the stock may be varied,or may be variable, during each revolution; i

Instead of, or in addition to, the blades or heaters, such as is and m, I may provide blades'or beaters z working'a cross theface of therevolvingstock, as shown in'thes'mall diagrammatic view at Fig. 4, and beating the flax eltheridown' or up p or down and up, alternately; or otherwise. i

In the modified form of the apparatus illustrated at Figf'iithere is: provided in connection with the revolvingstock a fixed comb orIspreader A having teeth or fingers B. The comb"fors'preader "A is' secured at one end to the diskp and atthe otherend to the framework or other fixed part ofthe apparatus. The arrangementis such that, as the stock revolves, the bundles offiax contact with. the teeth for fingers B which teeth or fingers thereby simulate the action of scutohers fingers in the feeding of'the flax to the scutching blade or blades. If desired, the teeth or fingers B may be capable of a spring movement or may move under spring action.

, Havingnow fully described my'inve'ntion, what I claim and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is r '1." Flax scutching apparatus having a revolving stock consisting of a plurality of open-topped cylinders having openings in their upper edges, means cooperating with said-openings for holding theflax in place and for releasing same after treatment,

means for revolving the stock, scutching blades, and means for operatlng the scutch ing blades.

2. Flax scutching apparatus having a re.

volving'stock consisting of a plurality of open-topped cylinders having openings in their upper edges,camoperated means cooperating with said openings for holding thefiax in place and for releasing same revolving the cylinders, scutching blades,"

and means for operating the scutching blades.

kFlax scutching apparatus having a plurality of open-topped cylinders, notches in the upper ends of the cylinders, clamping means cooperating with the cylinders for holding the flax in the notches, means for revolving the cylinders, scutching blades, and means for operating the scutching blades.

5. Flax scutching apparatus having an inner and an outer cylinder, notches in the upper end of the outer cylinder, notches in the upper end of the inner cylinder 1n allnement with those in the outer cylinder, clamping means for holding the flax in the notches, means for revolving the cylinders, scutching blades, and means for operating the scutching blades.

6. Flax scutching apparatus having a notched revolving stock, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for revolving the stock, scutching blades, and means for operating the scutching blades.

7. Flax scutching apparatus having a notched revolving stock, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars and having movable jaws, automatic means for operating the movable jaws, means for revolving the stock, scutching blades, and means for operating the scutching blades.

8. Flax scutching apparatus having a notched revolving stock, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars and having movable jaws, cam mechanism for automatically operating the movable jaws, means for revolving the stock, scutching blades, and means for operating the scutchingblades.

' 9. Flax scutching apparatus having a notched revolving stock, slidablyarranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for automatically revolving the flax holders, means for revolving the stock, scutching'blades,

and means for blades.

10. Flax scutching apparatus having a notched revolving stock, slidably arranged operating the scutching clamping .bars working in conjunction-with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, rack and pinion mechanism for automatically revolving the flaxholders, means for revolving the stock, scutching blades, and means for operatingthe scutching blades.

" 11 Flax scutching apparatus comprising a supporting framework, upper and under brackets on the framework, a vertical shaft fitted in the brackets, concentric open-topped notched cylinders on the shaft, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for revolving the cylinders, means for operating the clamping bars, scutching blades fitted in connection with the framework, and means for operating the scutching blades.

121' Flax scutching apparatus comprising a supporting framework, upper and under brackets on the framework, a vertical shaft fitted in the brackets, concentric open-topped notched cylinders on the shaft, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, cam mechanism fitted in the framework for operating the clamping bars, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for revolving the cylinders, means for operating the clamping bars, scutching blades fitted in connection with the framework, and means for operating the scutching blades.

13. Flax scutching apparatus comprising a supporting framework, upper and under brackets on the framework, a vertical shaft fitted in the brackets, concentric open-topped cylinders on the shaft, slidably arranged clamping bars working in conjunction with the notches, flax holders working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for revolving the cylinders, means for operating the clamping bars, fixed comb mechanism working in conjunction with the concentric open-topped cylinders, scutching blades fitted in connection with the framework, and means for operating the scutching blades.

14. Flax scutching apparatus comprising a supporting framework, upper and under brackets on the framework, a vertical shaft fitted in the brackets, concentric open-topped notched cylinders on the shaft, slidably arranged clamping bars Working in conjunctionv with the notches, flax holders Working in conjunction with the clamping bars, means for revolving the cylinders, means for operating the clamping bars, fixed comb mechanism having a plurality of teeth Workinginconjunction with the concentric opentopped cylinders, scutchingblades fitted in connection with the f 'amework, and means for operating the scutching blades.

15. Flax scutching apparatus comprising a supporting framework, upper and under bracketson the framework, a yertical shaft fitted in the brackets, concentric open-topped notched cylinders on the shaft, slidably a'rcopies of this patentmay be obtained for five centseachby addressing th e coxn missi oh r of Patents. 7

rangedclamping barsla- -orking in"c'onjunc tion with the notches, flax holders Working 3 in conjunction WitliQthe clamping bars,

with the revolving cylinders," scutching blades fitted in c onne'ctlon with'the framework, and means foroperat ng the scutching blades.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses,

JAMES ALEXANDER WILLIAMSON. Witnesses:

ANDREW I Himiiixrorr, JoI-IN lKNOX Washington, D. 0. 

